The painting of an aircraft is a relatively challenging and time-consuming process due to the wide range of dimensions and unique geometry associated with aircraft. For example, the wings extending outwardly from the fuselage present geometry that can interfere with the painting process. The height of the vertical tail above the horizontal tail can present challenges in accessing the exterior surfaces of the vertical tail. In this regard, the process of painting an aircraft may require access by personnel to the aircraft exterior surfaces for manual operations such as sanding, cleaning, and masking of the surfaces prior to the application of one or more coatings of primer and paint, followed by de-masking and inspection of the aircraft surfaces.
The application of coatings to aircraft exterior surfaces must also be performed in a precise manner. For example, the process of applying paint to the aircraft surfaces must be carried out with a high level of control to ensure an acceptable level of coating thickness to meet performance requirements and visual expectations. The process of painting is further challenged by the large amount of exterior surface area of an aircraft.
As can be seen, there exists a need in the art for a system and method for applying a coating to an aircraft that can be accurately performed in a relatively low-cost manner and in a reduced amount of time.